Expectations
MEDLIFE 2008
Brigade Preparations and Expectations
For Students and Primary Care Providers
I. Brigade Overview
a. Why we do brigades
Primary care brigades are an important part of MEDLIFE’s mission to help the poor live healthier lives. Our brigades provide medical and dental services for patients with extremely limited means of obtaining good care. It is crucial for our professional as well as student participants to understand that there are limits to the care we can provide on the trip. However, MEDLIFE works year-round to arrange follow-up care for those patients that need further medical assistance. Furthermore, each brigade is a critical piece of MEDLIFE’s greater commitment to the communities we serve. Cumulatively, our brigades visit and revisit communities, building strong relationships through which we can begin working toward more sustainable solutions. For example, MEDLIFE is currently raising funds toward the construction of a permanent clinic to provide low-cost care for the residents of Cebadas. As a first step, MEDLIFE is working to establish a pharmacy to provide more consistent access to medications for our patients.
b. Quito Brigades
In 1970, Fundación Tierra Nueva was founded by Father José Carollo, an Italian born Catholic Priest. In 1992 the foundation established a presence in Quito Sur, or South Quito, an impoverished area of the capital city. To support the health needs of the poor, Tierra Nueva operates a 42 bed hospital in addition to day-care centers, a special education program and a legal services organization.
With a common interest in providing healthcare for the poor, MEDLIFE has developed a partnership with Tierra Nueva for our Quito brigades. Our medical teams work in conjunction with Tierra Nueva’s outreach efforts to provide primary care to impoverished populations in the rural areas on the outskirts of the city.
c. Cebadas Brigades
Cebadas is a small rural center 90 minutes south of Riobamba, Ecuador represented by 30 smaller communities. Since the founding of the organization, MEDLIFE has had strong ties with Cebadas, which has become one of our primary brigade destinations. The closest hospital is in Riobamba, up to two and a half hours away from the communities that surround the town center of Cebadas. Thus, transportation and lost productivity costs in addition to medical care costs prohibit most residents of Cebadas from obtaining adequate medical care.
II. Clinic Details
a. A Typical Day at a MEDLIFE Clinic:
The team usually gets up around 6:00 am, eats breakfast, packs materials for the day, and leave for clinic. In Quito, the team will visit a new neighborhood of the south of Quito each day and provide medical care to the residents of these neighborhoods. In Riobamba, the team does the same but the clinic usually takes place in a small rural village. Lunch is around 12:00 and is a bag lunch provided by the MEDLIFE team. Clinics are usually held in schools, community centers or other buildings provided by our hosts. Usually we see patients until about 5:00-6:00 pm, depending on the number of patients that come to clinic. After finishing with patients, the team returns to the hostel for dinner and relaxation.
a. Primary Care Provider Responsibilites
Physicians and other primary care providers can expect to see upwards of 45 patients on busy days and at least 20 patients on slow days. MEDLIFE will provide the necessary medications. Due to scarce medical resources in the areas we work, laboratory tests are not usually available, especially in Riobamba. However, MEDLIFE is committed to working toward the health of our patients beyond the conclusion of our brigades. To this end, we keep a record of “special cases” that need surgery or other follow up care. After the brigade is over, our in-country staff will get these patients the care they need.
When possible, physicians are encouraged and asked to provide students with an opportunity for mentorship/education about patients or medical conditions. Clinicians do not need to speak Spanish. Students or hired translators will aid them if necessary.
b. Student Responsibilities
On clinic days the students accompanying the brigade are divided into teams. These teams consist of a height and weight team, a dental hygiene team, a medical team and a pharmacy team. Basic Spanish phrases are required for all of these jobs except the medical team, which requires advanced Spanish skills. At least one competent speaker will always need to be working with the pharmacy team. Students who do not speak any Spanish will work with or be trained by those on their brigade who do.
Height/Weight Team: This team consists of 2-3 students who assist in the intake of patients and directing and forming patient waiting areas. In addition, these students will measure height, weight, blood pressure, and, if necessary, temperature for each patient.
Medical Team: 2-3 students on this team provide translation for physicians if necessary, as well as assist the physicians in any way possible. These students are also responsible for the coordination of patient flow and communication between the physicians and all other teams regarding the clinic status. These students will also help convey prescription instructions to the pharmacy team.
Pharmacy Team: This team consists of 2-3 students who are responsible for the filling of all physician orders regarding the medications available to dispense on every brigade. These students fill out and provide detailed written and oral instructions for all patients.
Dental Hygiene Team: This team consists of 1-2 students who provide tooth brushing lessons and dental fluoride to all children. In addition, this team dispenses dental supplies to all patients. In brigades including a dentist, this team also assists the dentist with translation or other needs.
c. Patients:
The environment in which we work and the patient populations we see vary depending on where your brigade is based. MEDLIFE sees all patients that take the initiative to attend our clinics, which include patients of all ages with primary complaints range widely from dry, cracked skin, to back pain, to parasite or bacterial infections to growth defects to cleft palates to toothaches to hearing loss to unexpected pregnancy and everything in between.
d. Brigade Supplies
MEDLIFE provides all medications and supplies for the primary care brigade. Primary care providers attending the brigade will be provided with a standard list of medications and supplies and, if there is enough time before the beginning of the brigade, will be able to request modifications of the list if necessary.
III. Trip Details
a. Accommodations
In Riobamba MEDLIFE medical brigades usually stay at the Hotel Monte Carlo. (http:// www.hotelmontecarlo-riobamba.com/engmc.htm). In Quito, the team usually stays at the Loro Verde (subject to change). These two hostels are of similar quality. Both have hot showers and meals available within the hostel. Both facilities are safe, but MEDLIFE recommends that if you can’t afford to lose something then you should not bring it to Ecuador.
b. Transportation:
Main transportation in Ecuador will be by charter bus or vans and will be covered by the participation fee. On clinic Days to the areas surrounding Cebadas, pick-up trucks will carry the between clinic sites and the town center. Travel time to and from clinic sites depends on where the brigade is, and can range from 1-2 hours.
c. Free Time:
Any free time is an opportunity to use email or call home, and/or get to know Quito/Riobamba. Since Quito is a bigger city there is less opportunity to get to know the city on foot. Regardless of where the brigade takes place MEDLIFE plans days for volunteers to see some tourist sites during the teams’ stay in Ecuador.
IV. Before your Trip
a. Airfare:
Students and primary care providers are responsible for their transportation to and from Ecuador. These costs are not included in the participation fee. Airfare tends to range between $500-$900 depending on the location of departure. On the East coast of the USA, MEDLIFE directors have found that flights from NYC tend to run cheaper Participation Fee. A valid passport is required for travel to and from Ecuador.
b. Participation Fee:
The participation fee is required of both students and primary care providers. This fee covers transportation, room and board while in Ecuador. MEDLIFE provides breakfast, a bag lunch, and dinner during the clinic days. The only meals that participants will be expected to pay for are during free/tourist days and/or additional meals, snacks or drinks that are not planned by MEDLIFE. Some spending money may be desirable to buy souvenirs during free/tourist times.
One Week: $669.50
Participation fees should paid online after filling out the online application.
c. What To Bring:
Small travel bag
Comfortable walking shoes
Shorts (2-3)
Long pants (2-3)
Long and short-sleeved shirts (3-5)
Socks
Underwear
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Windbreaker or light rain jacket
Camera, film and battery
Any medicine you may be taking
Toilette kit (toothbrush, shampoo etc)
Passport with Yellow Book
Transportation tickets
Insurance card (health/travel)
Money
Credit cards
ATM card
Personal ID, Drivers license
During the clinic days all participants are asked to look professional, but are not required to wear ties or dress shirts. Jeans, polo shirts, and/or casual shirts are fine.
*We ask physicians and PAs to carry medication in their luggage for the brigades in order to pass through customs. MEDLIFE purchases all of the medication.*
d. Vaccination Information
Students and primary care providers are responsible for obtaining the necessary vaccinations for travel to Ecuador. Ask about these vaccintations: Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and any others your clinic recommends. We also recommend that you make sure that any routine vaccinations have been administered and are up to date, these include: measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT), Hepatitis B. Student chapter brigades directors will arrange clinic days with a local or university-associated travel clinic if possible.
V. Additional Contact Information
Any additional questions or concerns that cannot be answered by the student chapter’s brigades officers can be directed to:
